Why does it take longer to cook an egg until it is hard boiled in Denver (altitude 1 mile above sea level) than it does in NYC (near sea level)?
I answered this twice yesterday. The definition of boiling point of a liquid is the termperature of that liquid at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals atmospheric pressure. The atmospheric pressure at sea level (NYC?) is 760 mm Hg while that at mile high Denver is less. That means water boils at a lower temperature in Denver than it does in NYC. For example, the boiling point of water may be 95 degrees C or some other value depending upon the atmospheric presure in Denver but we know it will be less than 100. And it will be even less than that on some of those tall mountains (15,000 feet or more) around Denver. So while the NYC egg is cooked at 100, the Denver egg is cooked at a temperature less than 100. So which will take longer?
The time it takes to hard boil an egg can be affected by altitude due to differences in atmospheric pressure. In Denver, which is located at an altitude of around 1 mile above sea level, the boiling point of water is lower compared to sea level. This is because the atmospheric pressure decreases as altitude increases.
The boiling point of water is typically 212°F (100°C) at sea level, but at higher altitudes, such as Denver, the boiling point is lower. In Denver, the boiling point of water is around 203°F (95°C).
When cooking an egg, the heat is transferred to the egg through the boiling water. Since the water boils at a lower temperature in Denver, it means that the heat transfer to the egg is not as efficient as it is at sea level. As a result, it takes longer to reach the desired level of hardness when boiling an egg in Denver compared to boiling an egg in a location near sea level like NYC.
So, the lower boiling point of water at higher altitudes is the reason why it takes longer to cook an egg until it is hard boiled in Denver than it does in NYC.
The reason it takes longer to cook an egg until it is hard-boiled in Denver, which is situated at a higher altitude, is because of the difference in boiling points. At higher altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is lower, which means that water boils at a lower temperature.
To understand why this happens, we need to consider the concept of boiling point. When water is heated, its temperature rises until it reaches the boiling point, at which it changes from a liquid to a gas (water vapor). At sea level, where the atmospheric pressure is higher, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). However, as the altitude increases, the atmospheric pressure decreases, resulting in a lower boiling point.
In Denver, which is located approximately 1 mile above sea level, the boiling point of water is lower than 100 degrees Celsius. The exact boiling point varies depending on the specific altitude, but on average, water boils around 94 degrees Celsius (201 degrees Fahrenheit) in Denver.
So, when you place an egg in boiling water in Denver, it takes longer for the water to reach the necessary temperature to cook the egg completely because the water, even at its boiling point, is not as hot as it would be at sea level. This leads to a longer cooking time for the egg to become hard-boiled.
To get the exact boiling point at a specific altitude, you can refer to altitude-specific boiling point charts or use online resources such as a boiling point calculator, which take into account the relation between altitude and boiling point. These tools can help you determine the precise temperature at which water boils at different altitudes.